Seattle's Best Hamburger 2008

Carnivores of the Northwest line up at this burger joint for family-run flame-broiled goodness.

Reviews:

• “Great garden burgers!”
• “Good burgers but they randomly close early.”
• “My conclusion: overrated”
• “Pretty Girls with poor attitudes make burgers….”
• “Great burgers for masochists”

Tips: Make sure to turn the ringer off or the staff will loudly enforce the “no cell phones” rule.

Red Mill Burgers—Phinney Ridge

Seattle’s legendary burger-flipping, milk shake-slinging takeout joint, going strong since 1954.

Reviews:

• “The WORST burger experience ever”
• “I can’t decide..”
• “great for what they are.”
• “Best Root beer Floats!”
• “real food”

Tips: Picky eaters are out of luck: No special requests are taken—unwanted condiments will have to be scraped off.

Dick’s Drive-In

Casual watering hole with the smoky patina of a well-loved neighborhood joint.

Reviews:

• “if you like grease dripping down your arm…”
• “A twist to the burgers”
• “Best Chicken Sandwiches Hands Down”
• “A guaranteed good meal and the best soup and burger sides anywhere.”
• “2 Bells is tha shiznit”

Tips: Street parking is scarce; head to one of the pay lots on Third Ave before frustration sets in.

Two Bells or email Two Bells

This popular neighborhood taproom draws crowds for fun in Fremont.

Reviews:

• “Great Atmosphere, Good Food, Horrible Service”
• “Good food, good service!”
• “Tasty food, good atmosphere”
• “Great meeting place; Great bar food”
• “tHANk God it’s Open for the Best Food, Best People Watching, great service”

Tips: The back room and pool table area is available for private events; a special menu of party platters also accommodates larger groups.

Nickerson Street Saloon

West Seattle microbrewer with broad-age appeal and standard pub fare.

Reviews:

• “Best Burger in a Long Time!”
• “Great Food, Great Beer… what more can you want?”
• “Consistently great food and service”
• “Philly Cheap steak & crapcake sandwich”
• “Great service and food – fun for groups and visitors to West Seattle”

Tips: Live music, usually light folk or jazz, is offered most Saturday nights.

Elliott Bay Brewery & Pub

Celeb chef Tom Douglas’ upscale saloon is a reliable and relaxing Seattle institution.

Reviews:

• “home away from home”
• “HMMM why the hype!!!! What am i missing”
• “Favorite Restaurant in Seattle!”
• “Excellent food and service—a real winner.”
• “Not so good!”

Tips: Reservations are only available for parties of six or more. Reservations for the private dining room require a $600 minimum tab ($500 on weekdays).

Palace Kitchen

Sport memorabilia, a collection of high-def TVs and quality food combine at this family-friendly sports restaurant near Seattle Center.

Reviews:

• “Best Burgers.”
• “Fun sports bar”
• “Best value in Seattle”
• “best sports bar in seattle”
• “Great Service, Great Food make for a Great Time”

Tips: The TVs in each booth all carry full cable—change the channel using top buttons.

SPORT Restaurant and Bar

This legendary drive-in is a 20-minute drive from downtown Seattle, but well-worth the time for true burger fans.

Reviews:

• “yum yum yum yum yum”
• “BEST BURGERS IN TOWN!!!”
• “Not impressed with Triple X Rootbeer”
• “Nice try, but no cigar”
• “Nice atmosphere for car buffs, humdrum hamburgers”

Tips: Saturday nights attract muscle-car fetishists who proudly park their vehicles where everyone can admire them.

XXX Rootbeer or email XXX Rootbeer

Great steaks, friendly service and reasonable prices keep the locals coming back.

Reviews:

• “Overpriced Denny’s for yuppies”
• “Seeing and hearing will dispell any myths”
• “OK food, really spotty service”
• “Exceeded Expectations!”
• “Best neighborhood steakhouse”

Tips: No reservations are taken. Expect a wait on weekend nights.

Jak’s Grill

Impeccable service, graceful renderings of regional classics and a relaxed sense of Northwest elegance come together flawlessly in Belltown.

Reviews:

• “Good for kids, adults less so”
• “Just don’t waste your time…please I compel you…we gave it a second try…dont”
• “Bad Waiter Poor Food”
• “No More Happy Hours”
• “What happened to happy hour? More like.. “unhappy hour”"

Tips: The bar’s famous mini sirloin burgers are worth a special trip. Order them plain or with add-ons like blue cheese, black truffle butter or barbecued lobster. Fans can also order them for catered events.

Cascadia or email Cascadia

Tucked away on Ballard Ave – Albert’s brewing a multitude of beers, a full bar and a better than pub-grub menu.

Reviews:

• “Good Bad Albert’s Good”
• “Best burger!”
• “shhh!!! let’s keep it a secret!!!”
• “Way better than average ‘bar food’”
• “Awesome food!”

Tips: Happy hour runs Monday through Friday from 3:30 p.m. to 6 p.m., with discounts on industrial (domestic) beer and micros, plus Chicago red-hots for a mere $2.25.

Bad Albert’s Tap & Grill

A second home to Seattle’s power players, this beloved institution serves up surefire steak dinners.

Reviews:

• “Excellent! Excellent!”
• “Don’t be impressed. (you’ll be sorry and you’ll pay for it!!)”
• “Go to the bar and get the steak appetizers and skip the dining room”
• “OUTSTANDING FOOD- ONE OF AMERICA’S BEST STEAKHOUSES”
• “Average as usual. "

Tips: Make use of the $7 valet every night after 5pm. For weekday lunches, validation is available for garages at Second and Cherry and the alley west of Second at Marion.

Metropolitan Grill

Korean and French cuisine make an unlikely duo at this quiet Madrona fine dining gem.

Reviews:

• “Superb Food”
• “Moral imperative to avoid this place”
• “A great place for a date”
• “Two-hour wait for food that never came”
• “Dissapointing”

Tips: For a cozy dinner for two, order one of the “Gotta have” platters—they serve a pair and highlight many of the menu options.

Coupage

Essentially the official sports bar of Husky football, it goes without saying that The Ram attracts its share of die-hard fans.

Reviews:

• “Nice atmosphere, horrible customer service”
• “Average Food but Terrible Customer Service”
• “Over priced for below average tasting food”
• “Good Beer! OK food and large crowds”
• “Good beer, overpriced food”

Tips: Complementing the eats are six or seven micro-beers brewed on the premises. Try the Buttface Amber.

The Ram Restaurant & Big Horn Brewery

Victorian elegance and a regional menu bring an elegant spark to hotel dining.

Reviews:

• “Incredibly Romantic”
• “Excellent Ambiance, Customer Servicer”
• “Lunch is not recommended here, ever.”
• “quiet business dinner where you can actually talk or a romantic dinner.”
• “Old-world Charm”

Tips: The hotel offers many special packages, some of which include meal certificates.

The Hunt Club at the Sorrento

A neighborhood pub with great burgers proves itself to be more than just a link in the chain.

Reviews:

• “OK food, AWFUL STAFF”
• “sad but true”
• “if you care about service — skip this place”
• “relaxed evening”
• “Great food, too smoky, lots of attitude”

Tips: If you’re meeting a large group, get there early and snag the large and comfy couch upstairs. The downstairs booths are comfortable for couples.

Six Arms McMenamins

Blazing Onion Burger Company

The 74th Street Ale House folks did it again, creating a comfortable neighborhood pub noted for good food and great beers.

Reviews:

• “Best local hangout for great food and beverage”
• “My favorite place to eat and drink”
• ""
• “This place is the best”
• “Their best menu item…”

Tips: This spot is smallish and narrow, which makes everyone feel like a regular.

Hilltop Ale House

Charming West Seattle community alehouse adds a creative spin to the standard pub grub menu.

Reviews:

• “lovely food and wine!”
• “A great place to eat alone!”
• “Good food and nice servers”
• “service brings them down!!! food, location works”
• “Not friendly”

Tips: Expect at least a moderate wait for lunch as well as dinner and plan accordingly.

Circa Neighborhood Grill and Alehouse

A funky wild west theme at this hip Ballard Avenue venture from the owners of Capitol Hill’s Linda’s.

Reviews:

• “Fun time in the hood”
• “BAD service, RUDE, meat market”
• “Cocktails in the Sun”
• “Great Bar—Super fun place to meet and drink”
• “Rudest bartender in town!!!”

Tips: True hipsters stick to cheap cans of Rainier, but there’s also a lengthy cocktail list.

King’s Hardware